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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — a leader
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — music
  10. charge — in control
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stock — goods
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stock — shares
  17. staff — a stick
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — a price
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com